Plutonium Activity Ratios in Plankton: New Evidence of Hold-Up Time in Irish Sea Sediments

The determination of activity ratios for radioisotopes of different half-lives can be used to estimate transit times from a point source to locations further away. For conservative elements, this time is approximately equivalent to the net hydrological transport. However, for non-conservative elements such as plutonium, the additional influence of biogeochemical processes decreases the net transport time. In this study, ²⁴¹Pu and ^239,240Pu concentrations in Irish Sea plankton samples, collected in May 1994, were determined and the ²⁴¹Pu/^239,240Pu ratios calculated. Plutonium-239,240 was measured using a standard method by ion exchange chromatography and alpha counting, and ²⁴¹Pu was determined by liquid scintillation counting using the disk-supported technique. The latter showed some methodological problems, which are briefly discussed. The ²⁴¹Pu/^239,240Pu ratios gave an estimate of the "transit time" from Sellafield to the different sampling points. In fact, this time represents the age of plutonium in plankton, i.e., the time lag between release from Sellafield and detection at the different sampling stations. The mean plutonium age was 17±2 years (n = 10) and 18.6±0.8 years (n = 13) in phytoplankton and zooplankton, respectively. The spatial distribution was reasonably homogeneous over the Irish Sea. The assimilation-elimination processes of plutonium in plankton are rather rapid. Therefore, it may be assumed that, in this time scale, the plutonium concentrations were in equilibrium with surrounding waters. Thus, it is concluded that plutonium was rather old because resuspension-sedimentation processes had occurred that delayed its transport within the Irish Sea. Therefore, the age of plutonium in plankton represented the hold-up time of plutonium in the sediments from the Irish Sea.     

Competitive formation of helical cycloocta- and cyclododecapyrroles

In connection with a study aimed at the evaluation of electronic effects in spiro-dicorrole (1a) and its binuclear Ni(II) complex (1b) we became interested in gem-dimethyl-substituted cyclotetrapyrrole (2a) and the corresponding Ni(II) complex (2b). Attempts to prepare 2a as the 12,13,16,17-tetraethyl-2,3,7, 8-tetramethyl derivative (5) by an acid-catalyzed (1 + 1) condensation of dimethyldipyrrylmethane 3 and diformylbipyrrole 4 resulted in the formation of the (2 + 2) and (3 + 3) condensation products, i.e., the cyclooctapyrrole 6 and the cyclododecapyrrole 7, respectively, rather than in that of the desired gem-dimethyl cyclotetrapyrrole. The cyclododecapyrrole 7, isolated as the major product, is among the largest cyclopolypyrroles known to date. These two new macrocycles have been structurally characterized by variable temperature 1D and 2D NMR experiments, as well as by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In solution both the cyclooctapyrrole 6 and cyclododecapyrrole 7 exhibit dynamic behavior. At 337 K 6 adopts a D(2)-symmetric conformation, whereas at 196 K two equivalent C(2) conformers that interconvert through the D(2)-symmetric intermediate are observed. The energy barrier for the interconversion process between these two degenerate conformers is found to be 10.6 kcal mol(-)(1). The solution dynamics of 7 could be described in an analogous manner, with the time-averaged conformation at 378 K displaying D(3)(h)() symmetry. X-ray analyses showed that for both macrocycles, 6 and 7, the solid state structures were nearly identical to the low-temperature solution conformers.     

Palladium-induced cyclizations for the synthesis of cis-2,5-disubstituted-3-methylenetetrahydrofurans: studies of the C7-C22 core of amphidinolide K

[formula: see text] The diastereoselective synthesis of cis-2,5-disubstituted-3-methylenetetrahydrofurans via Pd(0)-catalyzed cyclization of 2-methylene-1,4-diols is described. Investigations into the scope of the reaction and its application toward the synthesis of amphidinolide K is reported.     

THE EFFECTS OF PORPHYRIN STRUCTURE AND AGGREGATION STATE ON PHOTOSENSITIZED PROCESSES IN AQUEOUS AND MICELLAR MEDIA

The efficiency of several porphyrins at 10 μM and 83 μM as sensitizers of the photooxidation of 0.1 mM tryptophan and histidine via a singlet oxygen-mechanism was studied in pH 7.4-buffered aqueous solutions and in aqueous dispersions of Triton X-100 micelles. The porphyrins were either solubilized in the bulk aqueous medium or associated with the micellar phase, whereas the amino acids were always located in the aqueous phase. With those porphyrins, such as uroporphyrin I, meso-tetra (4-sulfonatophenyl)porphine, meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine and meso-tetra)N,N,N-trimethylanilinium)porphine, which are > 98% monomeric in both media, the efficiency of histidine photooxidation was independent of the site of O₂(¹Δ_g) generation, as shown by the closely similar values for the photooxidation rate constant and oxygen-consumption quantum yield in the presence and absence of Triton micelles; the same indications were provided by photokinetic experiments with tryptophan. Actually, laser flash photolysis studies showed that the micelle-incorporation of the above mentioned porphyrins brought about only minor changes in their photophysical properties, including the relative yield of O₂(¹Δ_g) generation. On the other hand, hematoporphyrin IX, its Zn²⁺-complex, and coproporphyrin III are largely aggregated in homogeneous aqueous solution; their incorporation into Triton micelles caused an increase of the triplet quantum yield and an enhancement of the oxygen-consumption quantum yield and photooxidation rate constant for both histidine and tryptophan. The lower photosensitizing efficiency of aggregated porphyrin species in comparison with the corresponding monomeric porphyrin was confirmed by measuring the initial rate and quantum yield of oxygen consumption upon irradiation of 1 mM histidine and tryptophan in the presence of different hematoporphyrin concentrations within the 0.3-100μM range.     

Über die Systeme AJ/CoJ2 und die kristallchemischen Beziehungen in der Gruppe der Doppelhalogenide AnCoX(n+2) mit X = Cl,Br, J [1]

The Systems AI/CoI₂ (A = Alkali Metal, Tl, Ag) and the Crystal Chemistry of the Double Halides A_nCoX_(n+2) with X = Cl, Br, I The systems AI/CoI₂ (A = Cs, Rb, K, Tl, Na, Ag) were investigated by differencethermal analysis. The systems of NaI and AgI are found to be eutectical. A compound A₂CoI₄ always exists in the other systems. Cs₂CoI₄ crystallizes in the β-K₂SO₄ type with a coordination number (C.N.) for Cs equal to 9/10. Results obtained with single crystal technique reveal for the first time that among the double halides Rb₂CoI₄ is of the monoclinic Sr₂GeS₄ type (C. N. for Rb = 6(+2)). The compounds K₂CoJ₄, Tl₂CoJ₄, T-K₂CoBr₄, and T-Tl₂CoBr₄ are isotypic. Both structure groups are characterized by isolated CoX₄^2? tetrahedra. Reflectance spectra and magnetic susceptibilities can be explained on the basis of crystal field theory. – Our results close presently existing gaps in the knowledge on systems of CoBr₂ and CoCl₂ too.     

A gas electron diffraction and ab initio quantum-mechanical investigation into the molecular structure of tricyclo-(3.1.002,4)-hexane

The structure of tricyclo-(3.1.00^2,4)exane has been determined by gas phase electron diffraction. The molecule has an inversion centre. The mean carbon—carbon bond length, averaged over both three- and four-membered rings is 1.508 A. A model with equal C-C bond lengths fits to the measured diffraction intensities. The four-membered ring is planar with valency angles of 90°, while the carbon atoms of the three-membered rings form isosceles triangles. Ab initio quantum mechanical calculations at the STO-3G level support this geometry. The valency angle CCC (between three- and four-membered rings) for the equilateral four-membered ring model has been found experimentally to be 109.9°. The average C-H bond distance (1.080 Å) is small as a result of increased s-character in these bonds in agreement with reported INDO—LMO calculations.     

Flow injection analysis : Part VI. The determination of phosphate and chloride in blood serum by dialysis and sample dilution

The rapid determination of chloride and inorganic phosphate in blood serum based on continuous flow spectrophotometry was adapted to Flow Injection Analysis by applying dialysis as well as differential dilution of the injected samples. In addition to the manual injection procedure, an automated microsampling unit was developed and used. By continuous dialysis, chloride could be determined reproducibly at a sampling rate of 125 samples per hour at sample volumes of 60 μl or less. A similar sampling rate and high precision were obtained for the determination of inorganic phosphate by using differential dilution.     

An electrochemical study of redox indicators : Part I. Substituted chrysoidines

The electrochemical oxidation of various substituted chrysoidines was studied by cyclic voltammetry, to determine which have stable oxidation products. Only 4-hydroxy-chrysoidine has a stable product; the apparent oxidation potential is 0.779 V vs. NHE. 4-Methoxy- and 4-ethoxy-chrysoidine rapidly lose methanol or ethanol, respectively, so that the 4-hydroxychrysoidine wave appears on subsequent scans. All the other chrysoidines studied are irreversible. The results indicate that a hydroxy group in the 4-position is necessary for stability; the 4-alkoxychrysoidines can achieve the stable quinoidal structure by cleavage of the alkoxy group after nucleophilic attack.     

Molecular orbital studies on the conformation of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)

In distinction to Extended Hückel Theory which predicts as the most stable conformation of free zwitterionic GABA a totally extended form, PCILO and SCF ab initio studies show that the intrinsically preferred conformation of the isolated molecule is a highly folded one, resulting from strong interactions between the two charged ends. Computations are also carried out for hydrated GABA in the supermolecule approach allowing moreover for the flexibility of binding of some of the water molecules of the first hydration shell. They predict the coexistence in solution of a large number of conformations showing different degrees of folding (or extension), a result confirmed by recent NMR studies. This and a number of similar results show that we have to adapt our thinking on the role of conformations in pharmacological activity to this situation, which was frequently obscured by the more abundant results of X-ray crystallography yielding a single conformation.